HTG Board of Directors
High Throughput Genomics Board of Directors.
Harry A. George
Chairman
Mr. George has more than 27 years of experience with successful rapid growth technology-related companies, serving as founder, operating officer, or investor.
From 1981 to 1989, Mr. George was co-founder, director, and vice-president of finance for Interleaf, a pioneer in electronic publishing. Prior to that, he was co-founder, director and vice-president of finance of Kurzwell Computer Products. Currently, he is co-founder of Solstice Capital.
Currently serving on: the Board of Directors for: Lumidigm, High Throughput Genomics (HTG), CellzDirect, Regenesis Biomedical and AmpliMed. Other positions: Member of Investors’ Circle, member of the conference screening panel of the Arizona Venture Capital Conference (1997-2003), member of the advisory committee of the MBA program at the University of Arizona, Eller School of Business, advisor to the Arizona Center for Innovation, Trustee of the Arizona-Sonoma Desert Museum and the Tucson Museum of Art, Vice-Chair of Treasure the Desert Capital Campaign.
Donald Grimm
Mr. Grimm’s distinguished career at Eli Lily & Company included a variety of key management positions in the company’s pharmaceutical, biotechnological and medical device businesses. He served as Director of Worldwide Pharmaceutical Pricing, Director of Pharmaceutical Market Research, Director of West Coast Pharmaceutical Sales, and President/CEO and Chairman of Hybritech, Inc. While at Lily’s Hybritech, he orchestrated the development of Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), the most significant new cancer diagnostic test ever developed for men. The company’s increased from $50 million to $150 million under Mr. Grimm’s leadership.
Other positions of responsibility have included:
Chairman, Pacific Biotech (a Lily company)
V.P. Medical Devices & Diagnostics, Eli Lily & Company
CEO, Board of Directors, Telios Pharmaceuticals
Chairman, President, Founder, Strategic Design (1994 – current)
West Coast Managing Director, Copenhagen Capacity
Chairman, San Diego Mayor’s Task Force on Effectiveness and Efficiency in City Government
Chairman, San Diego County Economic Advisory Board
Mr. Grimm currently sits on the Board of Directors for: Invitrogen, Aegis, Angstrom, ATI, CellzDirect, Q3DM, Green Cancer Center at Scripps Clinic, the UCSD Cancer Center Foundation, the Advisory Board of Scripps Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy Board of Visitors, Limbaugh Center of the University of Pittsburgh.
Bruce E. Seligmann, Ph.D.
Founder and Chief Science Officer
An internationally recognized scientist, Dr. Bruce Seligmann began his scientific career at the NIH-NIAID, Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, and then joined Ciba-Geigy (Novartis). There he led the drug discovery programs within the Department of Molecular Biology, Inflammation, and Osteoarthritis Research. He went on to join the start-up biotech company, Selectide, where as V.P. of R&D, Dr. Seligmann initiated the development of non-peptide small molecule combinatorial chemistry (combichem). He established drug discovery programs and selected compounds which produced a novel Factor Xa drug that advanced into clinical trials. After serving as Center Director upon the acquisition of Selectide by MMD (Aventis), Dr. Seligmann went on to found both SIDDCO and HTG, which developed and markets the quantitative Nuclease Protection Assay (qNPA™).
As one of the inventors and developers of the intellectual property forming the basis of the ArrayPlate and qNPA™ technology, Dr. Seligmann’s vision is to provide this time and cost saving technology to assist the advancement of research, drug discovery and the development of better therapies and diagnostics, which ultimately provides better patient care and quality of life.
John M. Holliman, III “Jock”
Jock Holliman has more than 20 years of experience in the venture capital industry in the southwestern United States. Following a career in corporate commercial banking with Bank of America and Chemical New York, Mr. Holliman joined Alliance Business Investment Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1982. Three years later, Mr. Holliman accepted the newly created position as managing director of Valley National Bank of Arizona’s venture capital program. From a $22 million capital base, Holliman oversaw 22 direct and three indirect investments in creating a successful portfolio. In early 1993, Holliman formed Valley Ventures, L.P., a $10 million institutional secondary partnership, to purchase all venture capital assets from Valley Bank. Based upon the success of Valley Ventures, Holliman formed Valley Ventures II, L.P. closing at $29.4 million in April, 1999.
Jock Holliman holds undergraduate and graduate business degrees from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, as well as a master’s degree in international management from the Thunderbird School of International Management in Phoenix, Arizona. Throughout his venture capital career, Holliman has been active in venture industry groups including NASBIC, the industry trade group in Washington, D.C. He served on its board of directors for five years through 1991, including two years on the executive committee. Holliman has served on 30 private and public company boards including Pilgrim American and OrthoLogic, notable Valley Ventures’ winners.
Larry Senour
Larry Senour has 20 years of healthcare experience, including the last 11 years with Merck & Co., Inc., and 8 years in various business development and licensing roles where he has executed over 45 transactions. He currently serves as Executive Director, U.S. Business Development, and is responsible for evaluating, structuring, negotiating and executing various strategic alliances, product divestitures, acquisitions, licenses and new business ventures. Larry is also responsible for Merck Capital Ventures, which invests in emerging businesses with technologies in areas related to the discovery, development and commercialization of pharmaceuticals and related healthcare services.
Prior to joining Merck, Larry served as Manager at Deloitte Consulting and Regional Manager with Healthcare Services Group. Larry holds an undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University and a M.B.A. from the University of Michigan.
Tim (TJ) Johnson
Chief Executive Officer
Tim (TJ) Johnson, an accomplished management executive, joins HTG from LVC Consulting, where he was a partner with the firm. Prior to LVC, Mr. Johnson was a SVP with Ventana Medical Systems, where he held responsibilities for Manufacturing Operations, Quality, Strategic Marketing, Corporate Development, and Product Technical Support during his 5 years with the company.
Prior to Ventana Medical Systems, Johnson was vice president of global marketing at Hill-Rom Company a subsidiary of Hillenbrand Industries. With Hill-Rom Johnson also served as VP/GM of Hill-Rom Airshields, handled North American operations, and lead the global strategic planning team. He has also served as a senior consulting manager at Price Waterhouse and has sales and operational experience at Batesville Casket Company, Caloric Corporation and Frito-Lay. Johnson earned a B.S. in business from Indiana University.
Mr. Johnson also serves on the Board of Directors for Kalypto Medical.
Jim Weersing
A noted entrepreneur and venture capitalist, Mr. Weersing brings a wealth of experience in the healthcare marketplace to HTG’s Board of Directors. His distinguished resume includes involvement with companies developing clinical diagnostics, ultrasound imaging technology, blood glucose monitoring devices, and orthopedics.
Mr. Weersing is acting Chairman of Kalypto Medical, a former Director at Ventana Medical Systems, and former managing general partner of MBW Ventures. He graduated from Stanford University with a BSME, and an MBA in 1962.
